Sun rally to upend Aces

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UNCASVILLE — On the same night they honored their past, the Connecticut Sun gave their fans another reason to celebrate the present.

With the WNBA playoffs beginning in a few weeks, the Sun continue to resemble a championship contender. Look no further than Friday’s see-saw affair against the Las Vegas Aces, in which Connecticut rallied from a nine-point halftime deficit to win 89-85 at Mohegan Sun Arena.

“That’s a big win in an incredible environment,” Sun coach Curt Miller said. “We talked at the end of shootaround that our playoffs essentially start today. It was going to feel like a playoff game. The good news we shared with them is that regardless of what happened tonight, we weren’t going to be out of the playoffs. It wasn’t going to be one-and-done.

Thomas played all 40 minutes, pouring in a game-high 27 points to go along with 12 rebounds. Williams scored 24 points, none bigger than her jumper with 10.2 seconds left to seal a dramatic win on Lindsay Whalen Night.

Whalen, a five-time all-star and two-time Olympic gold medalist, had her No. 13 retired at halftime. She played for the Sun from 2004-09, taking the franchise to its only two appearances in the WNBA finals.

“I want the ball. I know I can score whenever,” said Williams, who was 11-of-20 from the field. “That’s how I felt. I wanted the ball in my hand. I feel like everybody’s got confidence in me that I can go get a bucket. Put the ball in my hand.”

The victory vaulted the Sun (20-8) into a first-place tie with the Washington Mystics, who were beaten 85-78 by Chicago. Five games remain in the regular season, including two at home, where the Sun are 14-1.

“It was super big,” Williams said of the win, Connecticut’s fourth straight. “Them being in third, if they would’ve won that game, that would’ve knocked us down. We knew how important this game was.”

That created a sense of urgency, which was only heightened after Las Vegas rolled into the break up 56-47. Connecticut, however, rose to the occasion when it mattered most, stymying the Aces down the stretch.

A’ja Wilson’s jumper with 54.8 seconds remaining pulled Las Vegas within 87-85, but the Aces never got closer. Williams and Jackie Young traded misses, setting the table for Williams to close it out with a 17-foot pullup.

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